Displaced Kurds warn of demographic threat in Sere Kaniye
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Sere Kaniye Displaced Persons Committee expressed on Saturday concern over attempts by the Turkish state, coordinated with “unlawful” local civilian and military councils, to purchase lands and properties belonging to Kurds forcibly displaced from the city.
In a statement, the committee said, “These practices represent a systematic policy of demographic change, directly violating international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting the seizure of land or forced alteration of population composition.”
Earlier today, local sources told North Press that a tribal meeting in Sere Kaniye, organized under the direct supervision of Turkish intelligence, ended unsuccessfully after sharp disagreements among tribal elders regarding proposals to buy Kurdish-owned homes and lands.
The committee stressed that any sale or purchase of property under conditions of occupation and forced displacement is legally void and carries no rights or obligations. It added, “Any party involved in these practices participates in a demographic change crime, classified as a war crime and a crime against humanity.”
The statement also warned of the threat to the heritage and civilization of indigenous peoples, including Kurds, Syriac-Assyrians, and Armenians, and emphasized the right of displaced residents to return to their homes.
The committee called on the Syrian transitional government to uphold the March 10 Agreement, including provisions for the return of displaced persons and halting hostile policies in occupied areas. It also urged Arab and Kurdish tribal elders in Sere Kaniye / Ras al-Ain to reject such practices and demanded that international human rights and humanitarian organizations hold Turkey accountable and take immediate steps to stop these actions.